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Tacoma Community College
Tacoma, WA 4,668 Undergrads 36.6% Grad Rate
Total Cost
$16,766
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$8,376
After Aid
Median Earnings
$55,189
4yr Post-Grad
Vs. Peer Institutions
Net Price$8,376
Peer Midpoint: $9,847
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)$55,189
Peer Midpoint: $50,127.5
Graduation Rate36.6%
Peer Midpoint: 34.6%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients30.1%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time58.2%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS62.3%
Admissions Profile
Acceptance
100.0%
SAT Avg
-
SAT Reading
25th: --75th: -
SAT Math
25th: --75th: -
ACT Composite
25th: --75th: -
ROI Sensitivity Analysis
This analysis tests three cost scenarios (Scholarship, Average Net Price, Full Sticker Price) to show how college costs impact your long-term return compared to the average student and a high school graduate.
Lifetime Value Added (NPV)
Institution Lifetime NPV
Vs Median Peer
Vs HS Grad
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
+$583k
+$67k
+$99k
Median Cost$8k/yr
+$568k
+$52k
+$83k
Full Cost$17k/yr
+$552k
+$37k
+$68k
ROI Efficiency Metrics
Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
26
∞
Median Cost$8k/yr
29
541%
Full Cost$17k/yr
32
220%
Analysis Assumptions:
- Starting Salary: Estimated from the 4-year post-graduation median earnings (assuming 2% annual growth from graduation).
- Comparisons: "Vs Median Peer" compares to the median student nationwide in a similar level program. "Vs HS Grad" compares to a median high school graduate.
- Break-Even: The age at which the college investment net income exceeds the median high school graduate's lifetime earnings.
- NPV: Net Present Value of all future earnings minus costs and taxes, discounted at 7.8%.
Social Impact ROINew
Measures the societal return on a donor's investment. Calculated as the incremental pre-tax lifetime earnings vs. HS grad, divided by the tax-adjusted donation cost.
Donor Return522%
Gov. Pell Grant ROINew
Measures the government's return on Pell Grants via increased tax revenue. Calculated as the portion of incremental lifetime taxes (discounted at 5.4%) attributed to the Pell Grant investment.
Taxpayer Return80%
Important Note: Your ROI with any major will depend on the cost you pay to attend the program, and your starting salary. Both vary significantly across institutions. We encourage you to explore the ROI of a specific program variant by selecting the Program title of the credential level you are interested in. You will then have a more detailed return analysis for programs at specific institutions. We also encourage you to use the ROI calculator with your specific estimates of cost and salary.
Program ROI Analysis
Certificates
Accounting and Related Services
CertCIP: 5203
Median Debt
$8,617
Earnings (4yr)
$45,663
Natl Median: $44,589
Lifetime Value Added
+$38k
Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services
CertCIP: 5108
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $34,272
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
CertCIP: 5109
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,584
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business Services
CertCIP: 0106
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $37,705
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Business Administration, Management and Operations
CertCIP: 5202
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $47,440
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Computer Software and Media Applications
CertCIP: 1108
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,400
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management
CertCIP: 1110
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $52,615
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Data Processing
CertCIP: 1103
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $46,061
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians
CertCIP: 1513
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,359
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations
CertCIP: 5207
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,211
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations
CertCIP: 5218
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$50,865
Natl Median: $52,001
Lifetime Value Added
+$94k
Health and Medical Administrative Services
CertCIP: 5107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$41,917
Natl Median: $35,447
Lifetime Value Added
-$12k
Human Resources Management and Services
CertCIP: 5210
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $61,907
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Human Services, General
CertCIP: 4400
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $36,390
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Legal Support Services
CertCIP: 2203
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,747
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants
CertCIP: 5139
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,073
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
CertCIP: 1312
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $34,631
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Associate's Degrees
Accounting and Related Services
AssocCIP: 5203
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$45,721
Natl Median: $47,660
Lifetime Value Added
-$10k
Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services
AssocCIP: 5108
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$76,531
Natl Median: $42,269
Lifetime Value Added
+$279k
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
AssocCIP: 5109
Median Debt
$13,094
Earnings (4yr)
$81,859
Natl Median: $65,389
Lifetime Value Added
+$327k
Biology, General
AssocCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,758
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Business Administration, Management and Operations
AssocCIP: 5202
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$32,980
Natl Median: $48,733
Lifetime Value Added
-$145k
Business/Commerce, General
AssocCIP: 5201
Median Debt
$10,983
Earnings (4yr)
$65,130
Natl Median: $49,927
Lifetime Value Added
+$177k
Computer Science
AssocCIP: 1107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,283
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications
AssocCIP: 1109
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$58,588
Natl Median: $54,971
Lifetime Value Added
+$116k
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering
AssocCIP: 1410
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,477
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Health and Medical Administrative Services
AssocCIP: 5107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$47,504
Natl Median: $37,073
Lifetime Value Added
+$8k
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General
AssocCIP: 5100
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,180
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Human Services, General
AssocCIP: 4400
Median Debt
$16,758
Earnings (4yr)
$53,029
Natl Median: $39,422
Lifetime Value Added
+$62k
Legal Support Services
AssocCIP: 2203
Median Debt
$13,941
Earnings (4yr)
$53,304
Natl Median: $44,669
Lifetime Value Added
+$65k
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
AssocCIP: 2401
Median Debt
$10,975
Earnings (4yr)
$48,647
Natl Median: $44,125
Lifetime Value Added
+$19k
Mechanical Engineering
AssocCIP: 1419
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$74,727
Natl Median: $72,444
Lifetime Value Added
+$263k
Music
AssocCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $34,056
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Physical Sciences, General
AssocCIP: 4001
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$64,564
Natl Median: $49,076
Lifetime Value Added
+$160k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
AssocCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$13,000
Earnings (4yr)
$92,844
Natl Median: $80,813
Lifetime Value Added
+$426k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
AssocCIP: 1312
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $37,656
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Teaching Assistants/Aides
AssocCIP: 1315
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $36,642
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Bachelor's Degrees
Health and Medical Administrative Services
BachCIP: 5107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,716
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Note: Lifetime Value Added is the Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median high school graduate (for undergraduate programs) or a median bachelor's degree holder (for graduate programs), accounting for this institution's average cost and taxes. Computed over a career to retirement age.
For graduate programs (Master's, Doctoral, etc.), the calculation assumes a starting age of 22 (after undergraduate completion) and does not include the sunk costs of prior degrees. It represents the value added of the graduate degree decision moving forward. These Lifetime Value Added results for graduate degrees should not be compared with those for Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors.